new ducks like new pond! phew!!

[wackwack]

i got it this far yestweday but they wouldnt go in it yesterday....very suspicious of it! never saw a pond before the poor creatures! this morning they remembered where it was and went straight out and circled it and just stared for about a hour, then once they went in they were in for a solid hour, and in and out all day!!!! they had a ball. pond isnt finished, but i had to look after the horses a bit better today after spending all day yesterday digging a pond! stone will be all the way around, its 4 feet deep at the deep end and they can stand at the far side near the little stone path out. the wain water will also flow in where those stones are and flow out on the side near the camera, that at least will keep the water changeing a bit and i can top it up easily or drain it as the side near the camers is down hille and behing me a steep fall away to a natural drain. best i could do! i am only a small little lady!!
oh, and on the water, my drake figured out he was a drake hehehehe (not included on the video tho dont worry)

 

[wackwack]

oh my goodness my spelling, i am sorry! i do actually speak english but i have about 5 distractions going on here! sorry

 

[gryeyes]

I used to be a renter and had purchased a 300 gallon stock tank for my ducks. When I bought a house and relocated from the valley floor to an elevation of 2,200 feet, it took me several months to get the new property ready and get the stock tank moved as well. Which was NOT easy, lemme tell ya! In that few months interim, I added more ducks and a pair of geese; they all made do with two kiddie pools. Only ONE drake had ever seen the stock tank before.... and he had to use a stepped ramp to get into it at the rental property. At the new house, the yard is terraced, and the top of the stock tank is even with one of the terrace levels. Perfect! I thought, they can just walk right into it from the top terrace!

So, I placed and filled the thing and NOBODY would use it! They'd stare at it, occasionally leaning over to drink out of it. But no swimming. No getting into it. Aughhh!

FINALLY this past week, I startled the pair of geese into it when they were standing on the edge of the terrace.

Within two more days, the geese were getting into it regularly and discovering the joy of "bottoms up" and somersaulting under the surface of the water. Swimming without their feet touching the bottom! Wahooo!

And FINALLY the ducks took a chance and started swimming in the tank, too. The geese have priority, the Cayuga drakes are next in rank. The call duck pair spend the most time in it, "honeymooning." The four Cayuga ducks, still not fully hard feathered yet, get to sneak a bit of time in it, but they are still quite happy with the two kiddie pools.

The stock tank looks pretty big until there's a Toulouse gander swimming in it.

 

[wackwack]

wow i never even thought of a tank like that, never knew they existed until last night when i saw one on you tube with ducks in it!!
i did herd my ducks a little towards the pool, but today once i sent them in that general direction i stood back and waited. i could see them all just srating at it, it was so funny, it was like they were thinking, I REALLY want to go in, but it looks dangerous....but i really want to' and kinda nudge each other towards it, it seems to be always the same duck that takes the first go at everything. funny, cause the first day i had them i actually had that duck down as being a bit.....'blonde' but shes the bravest of them all!
no if only they could figure out how to get pack to the safety of their nettted off pen when they want to, they run straight past the big gate into it and huddle outside.....looking in.....silly ducks!!!

 

[bayyjayy]

Your pond is wonderful! Looks great and your ducks are loving it......how fun for you to get to watch them swimming!

 

[wackwack]

yeah! i was a little disheartened yesterday when they wouldnt go in, i knew though that it was only because they didnt know what it was and also were not used to being out in the whole garden. so it was all a bit new. everyone kept telling me to pick them up and put them in, and i was all like 'no, if they dont want it thats fine, i'll get fish' lol, if my niece spoke like that i'd give out to her!!!
when i let them out today i tried to not get my hopes up but as i was standing watching them consider going in i realised i was biting my knuckle!!!

it just made me soooooooo happy to see them enjoying it so much!! I broke my back (not literally-tho it felt like it) digging that pond with a shovel and had to take pain killers just to finish that much, so i was so glad they loved it! I am going to upgrade it in the spring once i figure out what will work best, (mind you, i might have to get more ducks then.......

) but i wanted them to have a pond now, they had 2 paddling pools, but insisted all going in the same one together and didnt fit so werent happy about it, i sat on the fence and just laughed and laughed.
Ducks just warm your heart!! all animals do, but these ducks....i dunno what it is!! they make me smile and thats hard to do this time of year!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
That was really a sweet video, I love the pond and all that green grass.. so pretty. we live on the side of a mountain, no flat land her except right where our home sits. If I could dig a pond I sure would, they sure were loving it. and drake finally came of age. Well!!

 

[Evelle]

that is a great idea.... but how to you clean it

 

[wackwack]

oh boy did he...!
of the 3 girls, only sonya the fawn and white runner had not shown any interest all along, the other two girls were throwing them selves at him all week, all of a sudden in the pond this afternoon he grabs poor sonya by the back of her head....i thought she was going to drown

i wasnt sure how she could cope because she seems to be of a 'weaker' disposition than the others, she just comes across as quieter, tho she makes more noise... make sense?! prob not!! lol she has a slight limp that apparently she was born with, there is no visable defect, she was born that way and the vet saw her, he gave me vets number who said she was fine, just has a slight limp, but thats why i was a tincy bit worried if she'd be ok on the water....but he didnt drown her, just about, he is bigger than the runner girls...if he gets rough wth them i might have to start gettin worried, or else ban him from the pond......
i probably shouldnt buy problem animals, but i always buy them, because i worry if i dont take on their problems i would worry about them! at least i spoke to the vet tho, but i wanted to be sure, and i use the same vet so know i can trust her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
My muscovy drakes are so big and the ducks are small in comparison, when they get in the pool it looks like he will drown them for sure but This has been going on for over 7 years and i haven't had one drown yet. They do this in the wild and survive, unless you had alot of drakes going after on duck then there is problems. So you know for sure you now have 3 girls and one boy.